1 Community Problem Solving Through Deliberative Democracy

2 Presenters: Lynn Cherry, President Roy Varnado, Associate Panama City, FL

3 Session Take Away’s Understanding deliberative democracy Benefits of deliberation What makes deliberation work When is deliberation used Posted on web site at

4 Deliberative Democracy In a democracy citizens must take responsibility and act together Citizens can act directly or through their representatives…but they must act The first order of business is to come together to make choices about what actions they can agree on

5 Deliberative Democracy What is needed is public deliberation – A process through which people talk with one another about public issues that concern them, weigh the advantages and consequences of alternative courses of action – Seek a shared sense of direction for creating public policy

6 Deliberative Democracy Collaborative governance is grounded in the belief that developing the most effective solutions requires informed public deliberation. Legitimacy for actions through collaborative governance flows from deliberative democratic theory.

7 Deliberative Democracy Thus actions are legitimate if all affected interests deliberated together about the issues in a noncoercive environment with valid information and reached agreement on those actions. Good book to read: Planning with Complexity – An introduction to collaborative rationality for public policy By Innes & Booher ISBN:

8 Deliberative Democracy Is not a program, rather it’s a way to make decisions that allows citizens to act together Is a tool that can be used when citizens are challenged to face the costs and consequences of their options and to “work through” the often volatile emotions that are a part of making public decisions

9 Dialogue, Debate and Deliberation Dialogue, Debate and Deliberation DialogueDebateDeliberation exploreexplore competecompete complementcomplement engageengage persuadepersuade engageengage reach outreach out dig-indig-in reach acrossreach across clarifyclarify loosely structuredloosely structured tightly structuredtightly structured semi- structuredsemi- structured usually slowusually slow usually quickusually quick usually slowusually slow private knowledgeprivate knowledge partisan victorypartisan victory public knowledgepublic knowledge

10 Is this debate, dialogue, or deliberation?

11 Is this debate, dialogue, or deliberation?

12 Is this debate, dialogue, or deliberation?

13 Is this debate, dialogue, or deliberation?

14 Deliberative Democracy Benefits 1.Helps people get a handle on complex public problems 2.Helps people understand different points of view before action is taken 3.Creates community buy-in 4.Over a period of time, it changes the way communities approach decision making and problem solving

15 Deliberative Democracy Benefits 5.Provides a safe place to convene & discuss issues in a structured format 6.Provides useful information to policy makers 7.Useful in committees when making decisions

16 Deliberative Democracy Benefits 8.Gives a voice to the disengaged 9.Increases citizen involvement and action Deliberation can get people more involved, cause them to join forces, and lead to new civic initiatives 10.Creates greater capacity for communities to engage residents in inclusive and effective public involvement processes

17 Deliberative Democracy Benefits 11. Increases trust and confidence in government 12.Creates more politically informed and engaged residents

18 What makes deliberation work

19 What makes deliberation work 1.Enables citizens to find courses of action that are consistent with what is valuable to the community 2.It helps to create some common ground for action, some sense of direction, and an appreciation for the interdependence of different purposes so people can act together

What makes deliberation work 3.Issues are framed (by citizens) with a structure that provides approaches to solving the problem 4.Provides the venue to decide what course of action is best before action is taken 5.Better informed citizens 20

21 What makes deliberation work 6.The work requires talking through, not just talking about issues 7.Allows people to do things they couldn’t do as isolated individuals, things that only a public can do 8. Produces a type of knowledge that is not available through experts, polls, surveys

22 What makes deliberation work 9. Finds a way to work together even when we don’t agree

23 When to use deliberation People deliberate in their daily lives often – Where or what to eat – When and where to buy a house or car – What college children will attend – When to change jobs or careers

24 Here is an example of the deliberative process

25 Buy groceries and cook daily

26 PROS Food will be healthier It will be cheaper than going to a restaurant There will be more choices There will be a good time for family bonding There may be leftovers for the next day

27 CONS It takes time to shop and prepare food There is a tendency to overlook basic nutrition Families tend to watch television while eating

28 CONSEQUENCES Often what is purchased at the market may not be eaten which wastes money

29 TRADE-OFFS The time taken for shopping and preparing dinner is worth it when families can spend quality time together

30 Eat out every night

31 PROS It is more convenient than cooking Restaurants will offer items that are normally not cooked at home The restaurant experience is enjoyable

32 CONS It is expensive to eat out nightly Most restaurants offer the same basic menu Restaurants may not be kid friendly

33 CONSEQUENCES Eating out nightly compromises the structure that children need and possible interfere with play and study time

34 TRADE-OFFS The expense of eating out is not as important as the exposure to varied cuisines that are offered in restaurants

35 Pick up fast food

36 PROS Fast food is relatively cheap Children will be more receptive to fast food The variety of fast food chains is virtually unlimited There is the option of eating in or take out

37 CONS Fast foods are not as healthy as other food items Fast foods can lead to obesity Children will develop poor table manners

38 CONSEQUENCES When children are exposed to fast foods continuously the cycle will continue with their children which will make a generation of under nourished children

39 TRADE-OFFS The quickness of fast foods will allow time for the family to other things together

40 Obviously there are more options such as doing all three at various times

41 Deliberation is used when The best solutions seem outside the initial comfort zone of stakeholders The issue is emotionally charged or controversial There are multiple approaches to an issue

42 Deliberation is used when Not only the solution to a controversy but the nature of the problem itself is in dispute Broader public understanding and support are needed in order for solutions or policies to be accepted and implemented

43 Examples of issues or problems Land use Growth management Poverty/homelessness Access to health care Economy Community revitalization Education

44 Deliberative Democracy At the heart of deliberation is the question of whether we are willing to accept the consequences of our choices.

45 By understanding deliberation, realizing its benefits, what makes it work, and when to use it, you may improve the decision making process in your community and get your citizens involved in improving their neighborhoods

Community Organizations Staff & Alliance/BoD CRA Community -at-Large Deliberative Democracy

47 Posted on web site at

Lynn Cherry (850)

49 Carpe Diem Seize the day!